Reading the news: a worksheet

Tell Modi to sack Gyanesh Kumar, protests will stop in 30 seconds: Rahul to traders

6 reports from 5 outlets over 12 hours.

• The Hindu, The New Indian Express and Deccan Herald used nearly the same words. Headlines this close usually come from one news agency’s copy.

1. TH The Hindu News · 26 Oct · ≈ same wording
   Tell Modi to sack Gyanesh Kumar, protests will stop in 30 seconds: Rahul to traders
2. NI The New Indian Express · 26 Oct · ≈ same wording
   Tell Modi to sack Gyanesh Kumar, protests will stop in 30 seconds: Rahul to traders
3. DH Deccan Herald · 26 Oct · ≈ same wording
   'Tell Modi to sack Gyanesh Kumar, protests will stop in 30 seconds': Rahul Gandhi tells traders
4. IE The Indian Express News · 26 Oct
   ‘Gone in 30 seconds’: Rahul Gandhi’s promise on anti-Gyanesh Kumar protests

   Words only this outlet used: Gone, promise, anti.

5. DH Deccan Herald · 26 Oct
   'Protests will stop in 30 seconds if Gyanesh Kumar is sacked', Rahul Gandhi tells Delhi traders

   Words only this outlet used: Delhi.

6. TI Times of India · 27 Oct
   Tell Modi to sack CEC, stir will stop in 30 sec: Rahul to traders

   Words only this outlet used: CEC, stir, sec.

Questions

1. Which words do most headlines share? Which words does only one outlet use, and what do they stress?

2. Who reported it first, and how long did the others take? Does “first seen by Huduku” mean they broke the story?

3. How many different owners carried it? Do any outlets share an owner, or nearly the same words?

4. Which outlets you know did not carry it? What might explain that?

5. What is the original source (a judgment, notice, speech or set of figures)? Find it. Does any headline say more than the source does?

6. If you shared one of these headlines, which would it be, and why?

Each headline links to the outlet’s own report. Huduku shows headlines only. https://huduku.org/story/7979